This invention relates to a spherical puzzle with two tracks at right angles from each other forming two intersecting rings of sliding tiles located at the circumferential periphery of the sphere having multiple sliding tiles on each track or ring, the sliding tiles together forming a predetermined pattern of color or design which can be scrambled and rearranged to restore the predetermined pattern of design or color.
There are a variety of spherical puzzles with intersecting tracks around the periphery having moving slides or sliding pieces. For example, the spherical puzzle toy of Tsun Ding Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,584, comprises two semi-spherical shells (22) that are joined inside the hollow shell by a sleeve (23) on the inside center of one of the semi-spherical shells and a split rod (24) with a coupling portion (26) on the other semi-spherical shell. In this puzzle, partition panels are mounted on the periphery of the spherical base formed after the joining of the two semi-spherical shell. Eight of these partition panels spaced from one another around the spherical base define three intersected annular tracks, the X-track (201), the Y-track (202), and the Z-track (203). The slides (4) move on these tracks to form the desired pattern. The construction of this puzzle requires the mounting of partition panels by hooks lodging on openings at the surface of the spherical base. These connections can break or loosen up with repeated usage. The partition panels can also get loose and get lost. Additionally, more material is required to make the puzzle and the design is complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,340 issued to Wilton R. Greene is also a spherical puzzle and like Chen, it also has a spherical support member (12) comparable to the spherical base of Chen which carries on its surface, radially protruding circumferentially extending tracks (20). Movable members are straddingly carried on the circumferential tracks (20). Spring flanges (24) prevent the movable members (22) from falling off the circumferential track (20). Like Chen, the construction of this puzzle is also complex requiring the spherical support member to carry on its surface, radially protruding circumferential tracks for the movable members to move relative to the spherical support member. It is also not so sturdy because the spring flanges that hold the movable members can break or fall apart with time and usage because these are simply connected to the side walls (17) of the track. Further, none of the above puzzles have the same rules or challenges in restoring a predetermined pattern after scrambling the pattern as the claimed invention.
It is therefore an object of this invention to produce a spherical puzzle that is simple in construction.
It is also an object of this invention to have a puzzle wherein the moving members or sliding tiles move from tracks within the spherical base and not from tracks formed by externally attached components that could break or get disengaged and lost with usage.
It is a further object of this invention to provide another puzzle having different levels of complexity with a different set of movements for scrambling and restoring a predetermined pattern.